Sambodhi 1993 Vol 18

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 45

38
SAMBODHI
and space and they are so much absorbed therein that they become forgetful of all empirical realities for the time-being, then the performance of the play is heading towards daivi siddhi. On the contrary, when the consciousness of the historical present also runs side by side with the realisation of a mythological or the theatric time, it is mănușī siddhi1. Mănuși siddhi, therefore, carries with it an element of alienation. We have talked of the three creators of Natya - i. e., the dramatist, the actor and the spectator. They are sometimes involved in their own creations and sometimes they stand apart.
The idea of siddhi is corelated to the pravṛttis, the vṛttis and the dharmi. The type of siddhi desired to be achieved in a performance will decide its mode of production - its pravṛtti, vṛtti and dharmi and vice versa.
Pravṛtti means the study of man. To be able to inculcate and practice the pravṛtti in a play or its performance, a playwright and an actor must observe the habits, temperaments and the day-to-day life of the people. This study of the people encompasses whole of the world and even the entire Universe. But, from the practical point of view of presentation of pravṛttis within the frame-work of the theatric Universe, the pravṛtti is divided into four categories only - Avantī, Dāksiņātyā, Pāñcālī and Ardhamāgadhi covering hypothetically all the areas of this vast peninsula. This fourfold demarcation of the pravṛtti is justified by the authors of the NS on the basis of the corelation between the pravṛttis and the vṛttis. It is through the vṛttis that the Natya established its own identity. Bharata even terms the vṛttis as the progenitresses of Nātya : सर्वेषाभेव काव्यानां मातृका वृत्तयः स्मृताः । आभ्यो विनिःसृतं ह्येतद् दशरूपं प्रयोगतः ॥
(NS XVIII.4)
And since there can be only four vṛttis in the performance of Natya, the number of pravṛttis corressponding to each one of the vṛttis has been restricted to four. In fact, if the pravṛtti is the information regarding the tendencies and the behaviour of the people, vṛtti lies in presenting these tendencies and behaviour-patterns in theatric idiom. Abhinava defines vṛtti as the line of action (itikartavyatā) leading natya to its puruṣārtha20. The line of action to accomplish any puruṣārtha goes through the four channels of speech (vāk), mind (manas), body (deha) in graceful action and body in forceful action. In the performance of Natya, Bharati vṛtti is generated out of speech, Sātvatī out of mind and out of graceful gesticulations is born Kaisikī, while forceful movements produce Arabhați vṛttis21.
Bhārati vṛttis provides dialogues in the performance, Sātvatī substentiates them with sentiments or emotions, while Kaisiki imbues Natya with beauty and grace; Kaiśikī provides it with an impetus to move on with vigour, variety and force. Vṛttis, thus, occupy a key-position for the creation of Natya and Bharata rightly emphasises over their importance by calling them the mothers of Natya.
Natya reaches the potential point vibrating with creative possibilities through vṛttis where various tendencies begin to materialise in theatrical forms. Dharmi the next